Train-order deliverer.



F. BUTCHER.

TRAIN ORDER DELIVERBR.,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1910.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA FLANDURAPH C0,,WASHINQTON, D. c,

P. BUTCHER. TRAIN ORDER DELIV BRBR.

APPLIUATIOH FILED MAY 28, 1910.

1,006,378, 1 Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

s Sums-sum a.

P. BUTCHER.

TRAIN ORDER DELIVERER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 28, 1910;

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FRANK BUTCHER, 0F VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAIN-ORDER DELIVERER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

Application filed May 28, 1910. Serial No. 564,015.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK DUTOHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Versailles, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrain- Order Deliverers, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in train order deliverers.

The present invention pertains to that class of message deliverers whichis intended to deliver the message to persons on a moving train, andwithout the necessity of stopping the train for receiving the message.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improvedconstruction whereby a colored light or fusee is combined with thedeliverer which performs the double purpose of signaling the engineer orother person who is to receive the message and at the same time toprovide a flood of light enabling the person on the moving train toplainly see the message or message carrying member, and withoutdifiic'ulty take it from the deliverer.

It is the practice in delivering messages, that two copies of themessage be delivered to the train, one to the engineer and the other toa person at the end of the train. When delivering these two copies tofast moving passenger trains under the present practice, a great deal ofquickness andskill is required on the part of the station operator tohave the second message in proper position to'be received by the personat the rear end of the train, after having delivered one copy to theengineer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a messagedeliverer so constructed that but a second is required after thedelivery of the first copy to present the second copy in position to betaken by the person at the rear of the train, which avoids the hurry andskill required with the present methods of hand delivering devices.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation partly insection, showing the preferred form of my improved train orderdeliverer. Fig. 2 is a'horizontal section through socket g of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing one form of hand delivering deviceembodying the present invention. Fig. 4 is a view of the delivery end ofthe device with the socketshown in section and one of the messagecarrying members partially broken away. Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofanother form which embodies the present improvement. Fig. 6 is asectional view through the head or socket of the device with one of themessage carrying members broken away The preferred mechanical expressionof my present improvement in its broadest,

sense is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In these figures a is a headwhich is provided with a handle socket 6, having therein a handle 0 ofsuitable length. This head a carries also a combined signal lightingfusee socket d, in which a fusee e is placed and may be frictionallyretained in any desired manner. As here shown, the manner offrictionally holding the fusee in the socket consists of a suitablyshaped spring 7, which has its lower free end engaging the outer side ofthe fusee c. A socket g is made rigid with the head a, and this socketreceives a lateral bend it of a ring-shaped message carrier This bend orloop 72. enters the socket g with frictional tension so that it willremain in the socket while the ring is presented for the engineer, orother person on the moving train to be taken from the deliverer as thetrain passes. Another socket 7c is pivotally connected to the head a inany suitable manner. As here shown it is accomplished by providing thesocket is with parallel arms Z, which are located at the opposite sidesof the head and a pivotal pin m passes through the head and throughthese arms. This socket 70 also is adapted to carry a ring-like messagecarrier 2' in the same manner as the socket g. Preferably a frictionalcontact is caused between the arms Z and the head a by locating betweenthem the laterally twisted springs n. The ringlike member 71, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2, carries a suitable message holding member 8, whichwill be more fully described hereinafter. However, instead of this formof message carrying member, the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 may be usedin the manner hereinafter explained.

The operation of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is as follows: Thestation operator having placed in the deliverer the message to bedelivered and the fusee, and lights the fusee which signals to theengineer or other person thereon who is to receive the message, thatthere is to be a message delivered to the train while it is in motion.The particular color of the light of the fusee will indicate that factand will also light up the platform in such a manner as to enable themessage to be readily taken therefrom. The station operator presents themessage in the position indicated in Fig. 1 by the handle 0 and when oneof the messages has been taken from the stationary socket g the movablesocket is is pushed forward into the position shown in dotted lineswhich is approximately the position assumed by the first messagedelivered. This operation can be quickly performed so that no matter howfast the train may be going, nor how short the train may be, there willbe no difficulty in presenting the two messages successively and inample time to be received.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, 1 is a suitable handle ofsuitable length andcarrying at its outer end a casting 2. This casting 2is provided with two outwardly projecting sockets 3, which receive thedetachable message carrying rings 4:- These rings 4 have laterallyprojecting U- shaped loops 5, which enter the sockets 3 and engage theinner walls thereof with sufiicient friction to remain in position whilethe deliverer is being waved up and down as is the custom to signal theengineer. In this form of the device the engineer passes his arm throughone of the rings and it is withdrawn from the holder or deliverer.

erer one-half around and'the other delivering ring is in position to bereceived by the person at the rear of the train. In Fig. 3 the uppermessage carrying ring 4, is the one in position for the engineer to takeand after it has been taken the deliverer is turned half way around, asstated, which brings the other ring up in position to be readily takenby the person at the rear end of the train. The casting 2, also has asignal receiving socket 6, which projects preferably therefrom at rightangles to the message carrying rings 4. This socket is to receive acombined lighting and signaling fusee 7, which burns with a brilliancy,lighting up the deliverer so thoroughly that the message can be takenwithout difliculty on a dark or foggy night. The fusee may burn with anycolor which may be selected to indicate or designate to the engineerthat a message is to be delivered to him without stopping the train.These signal fusees are so well understood by persons skilled in thisart that any further illustration or description is unnecessary. It isessential that this signal be supported in such a position that theflame and sparks therefrom will not fall upon the hand or body of theoperator, or upon the'hand of the person receiving the message. Thepreferred position is that here shown, which accomplishes the abovementioned object, though this particular povided with a message carryingdevice 8.

As here shown, this device consists of a piece of sheet-metal 9, whichis turned around and serves to connect the ends of the ring 4 and aspring 10 is carried by this member 9 and the message 11 is placed underthe spring. As here shown this'sheetmetal member 9 has its flat portionextending transverse the circle of the ring, though this may be changedand the flat portion of the member 9 made to extend in the plane of thering without departing from the present improvement. Preferably asuitable spring catch 12 engages the fusee 7, for the purpose of holdingit in position in the socket 6. By providing the rings 1 with laterallyextending U-shaped loops 5, the rings form a spring and serve to placethe loops under tension against the inner walls of the socket 3,sufiiciently to hold it firmly in place while the deliverer is beingwaved, but which at the same time permit the ring to be readily removedtherefrom.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, in this modified form, the handle 1carries at its outer end a wooden head or block 2. The outer end of thiswooden head or block has a slot 3 therein into which the lateral loopsThe operator then slmply turns the dehv- 5 of the message carryingmember 1' enter.

These loops are held in position in the slot of the head by means ofsuitable pins (1, and 6. These message carrying members 4, here shown,are substantially U shaped in general 1 construction and their ends 0are slightly turned as shown and receive either a folded message cldirect, or the folded message may be placed in an envelope. In thisconstruction the message carrying members 4; are not removable from thehead or block 2, but the message itself is removable from the carryingmember 4. The signal 7 has its inner end placed in a suitable opening orsocket 6 formed transversely in the head and a suitable spring 12engages the signal to hold it in position against falling out when thedeliverer is being waved and turned. This modified form may be a cheaperone to construct than that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but it is constructedto carry two copies of the message and to deliver them successfully topersons at opposite ends of the train, as described in connection withthe construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

-I wish it understood that either form of message carrying member may beused with either form of deliverer. That is to say, the removable formof the member 4:, shown in Fig. 1, may be used in connection with thehead in Fig. 5, in which instance the pins 5 may be removed or the loop5 pushed in against the pin 6. Likewise the form of message carriermember 4:, in Fig. 5, may be used in connection with Fig. 3, in whichevent pins will be passed through openings 6 and enter the loops, asshown in Figs. 5 and 6.

When the removable message carrying members 4 are employed, these are tobe retained by the persons on the train who take them from the holder ordeliverer and carry them to any point designated. Owing to theirconstruction, they will take little or no room either in the cab of theengine or any car of the train.

Attention is directed to the specific construction of the messagecarrying ring or member 4 and 4 in that it is constructed ofspring-metal and that the end 6 of the loop 5 in Fig. 4 is roundingwhich enables the loop to be constructed to enter the socket 3, or toengage the pins a of the head 2 and to extend frictionally againsteither the inner wall of the socket 3, or the inner sides of the pins a.This construction is found to re liably hold the message carrying ringagainst being shaken out when waving the deliverer up and down and yetpermit the message carrying ring to be readily removed.

Reverting again to the holder 9, in the specific construction hereshown, the sheetmetal of which member 9 is formed has a loop 9, struckup therefrom into which one end of the spring 10 is fastened. The springextends longitudinally of the member 9, and

preferably between its edges so that the message 11 is held withconsiderable friction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a handle having atits outer end two independent removable message carrying membersextending on opposite sides of the center of the handle.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a handle having atits outer end two sockets and separate message carrying membersremovably supported in said sockets, said members extending at oppositesides of the center of the handle.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with ahandle, of a rigid and a swinging message carrying member and @separatemessage carriers removably supported respectively by the rigid andswinging members.

4:. A device of the character described,

comprising a reversible handle having at its outer end two messagecarrying members which extend on opposite sides of the center of thehandle.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses. FRANK DUTCHER. Witnesses:

SIMON F. LOEB, GERTRUDE DAVIDSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. G.

